


Finding the Pattern

by princedimitri



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Non-musician Daichi, Orchestra, Percussionist Suga, Tags to be added, They're all Musicians, chaotic friend group, little to no angst, nonbinary suga, orchestra AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26831188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princedimitri/pseuds/princedimitri
Summary: Sugawara is just a regular college senior. They are the principal timpanist in their university's orchestra and had a routine that consisted of going to class, practicing their music, drinking a little too much, and playing WAY too much Mario Kart with their friends. They are a Music Education major who had to fulfill a requirement of teaching a semester of private lessons to a non-music student. Suga starts to catch feelings, but is absolutely hopeless when it comes to relationships.Daichi is also a regular college senior with a caffeine addiction who just so happened to need a music credit to graduate. He meets a certain silver-headed percussionist and a pushy professor who influence him to try music for the first time ever.Will Suga be able to keep up with their struggling student and will Daichi learn what it takes to be a musician?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is the orchestra fic that has been rattling around in my brain for quite some time now. Suga is sort of inspired by me, since I am a non-binary percussionist and music ed major in college. This is also my first time writing something like this, so let me know what you think or if there is something you want to see! 
> 
> TW: Mentions of alcohol and being drunk. 
> 
> Title is from "Finding the Pattern" by Jessica Curry.

The cool air hit their face as they turned the corner, on their way to another pointless get together. Not pointless because they didn’t enjoy the company, but pointless because why does anyone need to have _that_ many Mario Kart tournaments in a single semester? They let out a small sigh and fished their phone out of the pocket of their sweats. Game nights did not have a strict dress code, and whenever they could get away with sweats, they would. The small screen lit up, displaying an overenthusiastic text from their roommate. 

From: Tooru <3

Kou-chan!! Are you on your way yet?? 

From: Kou-chan <3

Yeah, I just left. Be there in a few! :)

They stuffed their phone back in their pocket and continued their trek to the cramped apartment. _Poor Kenma,_ Suga thought. He always seemed to get dragged into whatever event Kuroo and Bokuto planned, presumably because he was the only one with the proper consoles to be able to host some kind of tournament every week. They always insisted on having tournaments, even though Kenma was always the winner. They would call him a “little prodigy”, even though he would just lock himself in his room for days on end playing video games.

A few minutes later, they walked up to the door and knocked twice. The door flew open and they were immediately greeted by an exasperated looking Oikawa, seemingly in some kind of emotional turmoil. Before Suga could get any sort of greeting in, they found themself being grabbed by the arm and practically thrown into the chaos of the apartment. 

“Kou-chan! I invited Iwa-chan to come play with us and he said he had to “study”!” Oikawa sighed, obviously annoyed with the idea of the world revolving around anything but him. “How could he pass up an opportunity to get crushed by the greatest Mario Kart player in the whole university.” 

“First of all, you finished third last time. Second, maybe people have to actually study because not everything comes to them easily like it does for you, Tooru.” Suga crossed their arms. 

“I _am_ the greatest. Just had a few minor setbacks. Its not my fault that Kenma is some kind of weird genius.” 

“You can come on a little strong, so maybe give him some space and let him adjust.” Suga suggested, wincing a little as if they expected their friend to react badly to this suggestion.

Oikawa did not disappoint.

He did _not_ like this answer and decided to continue with his pity party until an equally exasperated Bokuto barreled into the kitchen, Kuroo in tow. 

“Suga! You made it!” Bokuto excitedly threw his hands in the air.

“Just in time. We were about to take some shots and get this party started.” Kuroo smirked as he was thrown into the kitchen by Bokuto. They both stood in the small kitchen searching for the few bottles they kept in there. Bokuto dug through the top cabinet and pulled out a few bottles of shitty vodka. They had all just recently turned 21, so none of them had developed any refined tastes, aside from Oikawa who obviously had a boujee taste in alcohol and always complained about whatever his friends picked for him. 

Suga shook their head, content with just laughing at their friends’ ridiculous antics. They playfully threw an arm around Oikawa’s shoulders and earned an overdramatic kiss on the cheek. 

“Save it for Iwa-chan.” Suga teased. 

Oikawa crossed his arms and pouted. “How dare you bring that handsome, handsome man into this. _And_ you have no room to talk, Kou-chan. When was the last time you had a date?? Wasn’t it that super hot cellist freshman year?”

“Ugh.” Suga threw a hand in front of their face and groaned. “He was a creep, but he was definitely good with his hands.” They chuckled, hating it when Oikawa brought up their absolute _lack_ of a love life. 

Their thoughts were soon interrupted by the loud boys in the kitchen declaring that everyone must take a shot in order to continue with the evening’s festivities. Suga sighs and reluctantly steps up to the counter for Kuroo to pour their glass. “Just one though.” Suga said as they glanced over to Kuroo, who had some kind of coy smile on his face. 

“You say that every week, Suga. Then you end up cuddled with Bo on the couch in the morning.” 

“Suga is a good cuddler though!” Bokuto exclaimed as he quickly downed his own shot and threw his fist in the air. 

Suga sighed and tapped the small glass on the counter before consuming all its contents in one swift motion. They scrunched their face and did a little dance in place. They’ve somehow convinced themself that it makes it go down easier, but alas it never did. They threw their head back and felt the warmth of the liquid as it made its way to their stomach, satisfying a hunger they didn’t even know they had. 

The trio cheered for them as they danced around the kitchen. Suga was a lightweight, but according to everyone else, was very fun while drunk. Kuroo and Bokuto took second shots as Oikawa was finding things to mix for his drink. He settled for some Sprite and cranberry juice to nurse it with. 

“Stop being so picky Tooru. You’re gonna be trashed after, like, three shots anyway”, Suga chuckled. 

Oikawa stuck out his tongue and took a swig of his concoction. Suga then turned to Oikawa with an outstretched hand. 

“Give me your phone.” They demanded. 

“What? No!” Oikawa whined. “Why?”

“I don’t want you drunk texting Iwaizumi. He has enough on his plate right now.”

“Damn, Oikawa!” Kuroo exclaimed. “Are you trying to hit that??”

Oikawa’s face turned a deep shade of scarlet as he covered his face with his hands. “My life is ruined by my nosy friends.”

As Oikawa continued his whining, a mop of messy black hair popped out from around the corner. 

“Hey, when are we starting? Kenma has already beaten the computer and he’s getting bored.” Akaashi stated, matter of factly. 

“Awe. Our little prodigy.” Kuroo smiled and padded back into the living room to plop roughly down on the brown leather couch. He reached over to drape an arm over Kenma, who was sitting on the floor with his knees at his chest and his hood of his red hoodie pulled over his head and the white controller in his hand. 

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Suga downed another shot while Bokuto cheered and Akaashi did his best to keep his boyfriend quiet, to no avail. 

“They are perfect for each other” Suga thought, almost bitterly. They had no ill intentions, it was just frustrating to see two people who were very obviously built for each other when Suga was a hopeless romantic who has convinced themself they are incapable of a stable relationship. 

———— 

After a few more shots, Suga was successfully intoxicated, much to the amusement of the rest of the group, who egged it on quite thoroughly. Suga didn’t necessarily like being drunk, but they didn’t dislike it either. They stumbled to the couch and plopped onto Oikawa’s lap, who was _way_ too into the Mario Kart tournament. They laid their head on his shoulder as he stroked their hair. 

Suga was _very_ touch starved, though they would never admit it. They were a senior at the university and had only gone on a handful of dates, and some hookups here and there, but never pursued anything very serious. They always prioritized their music above all else, sometimes locking themselves in the practice rooms overnight prepping for a performance, or studying for dreaded music theory exams. Regardless, they leaned into Oikawa’s touch, a usual occurrence for the roommates, who were always affectionate. They had a mutual understanding of each other that came with being friends this long. The pair barely kept their hands off each other, but it was rarely anything but platonic. Suga would be the first to admit that Tooru was very attractive, and that sometimes made it hard to be _strictly_ platonic. 

Suga felt a pit form in their stomach, but couldn’t tell if it was from their life pondering or the alcohol. They slowly sat up and padded back into the kitchen once more for something to snack on to slow the effects of the already fast acting feeling. Oikawa sensed something was a little off and decided to follow them as soon as the round was over. 

Oikawa stood and followed Suga, who was leaning over the counter, snacking on whatever they could find, looking slightly distraught. 

“What's wrong Kou-chan?” Oikawa asked, bumping his hip against Suga’s. 

“Oh, it's nothing.” They put on their best fake smile. “I think I’m gonna head out soon.”

“Take care of yourself, okay? I’m gonna stay here and try to knock rooster head down a few pegs.” He chuckled. “See you at home?”

“Yeah.” Suga laughed. They popped their head into the living room to say their farewells and made their way out the door into the chilly night, stumbling heavily on their way out. 

They did their best to try to hide the effects of the alcohol in their movements, but it was mostly unavoidable. They stopped for a moment to steady themselves on a nearby bench just outside of the athletic building. Kuroo and Bokuto’s apartment was basically on the other side of campus, so they had quite the trek to reach their apartment. 

As they stopped near the halfway point a tall figure approached them. Suga gripped the bench a little tighter and waited for the figure to pass. 

“Hey, are you alright? You look a little lost.” The stranger said, his voice smooth and warm. 

“Yeah. I’m, uh, fine. Not lost.” Suga shakily replied. 

“Are you sure? Do you need help getting home?” He said with a sort of confidence Suga didn’t quite understand. “I don’t mind walking you.”

“Sure.” Suga smiled nervously, obviously unaware of how things were gonna play out with this stranger. They just hoped they could keep their speech from being slurred and stay mostly upright. “My apartment is a few blocks away.”

“Alright.” The man said, holding onto Suga’s arm to steady them as they walked. “My name is Sawamura Daichi, by the way.”

“Sugawara Koushi. Nice to meet you Sawamura-kun.”

“Please, just Daichi is fine.” He smiled.

“Alright, just Daichi.” They chuckled. “What brings you over this way?” 

“Just going on my nightly jog and I stopped when I saw you.” Daichi stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

Suga’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, which they decided on the spot that they were blaming on the alcohol and not the super hot stranger that jogs and just so happened to offer to walk them home. 

“I appreciate the chivalry.” Suga giggled. “Very noble of you to walk a poor damsel home.” They hiccuped and hoped Daichi didn’t notice. 

Daichi chuckled. “Had a little bit to drink?” He placed one hand around Suga’s slim waist, and the other on their arm to help steady them more.

“Yeahhhh.” They sang. “My friends like to have weekly Mario Kart tournaments, and this one got a little out of hand.” 

As Suga explained, Daichi listened intently and asked questions about their friends.

“You know Bokuto and Kuroo?” Suga asked Daichi.

“Yeah. I played volleyball for a bit my first year. I switched from competitive to just intramural, they were both on the competitive team.” Daichi explained. “I never really had any classes with them though, being in different majors and all.”

“What is your major?” Suga stumbled forward a bit and was caught by a strong arm wrapping tighter around their torso. 

“Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology.” Daichi smiled. “I want to be a detective.”

“Watch a lot of Criminal Minds?” Suga laughed. 

“Oh hell yeah.” They laughed. 

“What about you, Sugawara?” he asked after a brief pause.

“I’m actually Music Education and Performance.” They smiled. Suga always adored discussing music to anyone who would listen. There was a warm feeling in their chest as Daichi asked more follow up questions. 

“So what instrument do you play?” 

“Percussion. And a few others.” Suga smiled. They were always humble about their talent, but being a principal player in the orchestra was always something they were insanely proud of, and it is not a small accomplishment, especially with the talented musicians they had at the university. Most of those players were his group of friends. The musicians always stayed in packs of fellow musicians. Such explains the odd bunch Suga hung out with. 

“I have absolutely _zero_ rhythm.” Daichi chuckled, thinking about how he could never be that good at any instrument, no matter how hard he tried. 

Suga smiled warmly at the man. “I bet that’s not true. You just haven’t found your rhythm yet. Its all about finding the pattern.” Being a full time student and aspiring educator, Suga was very familiar with this way of thinking. They even thought that about themself early in their music career. There was _always_ a way to help someone discover that rhythm and fall in love with music in new ways. That's what made them want to study it, learn as much as they possibly could, and help others feel what they feel. Music is such a complex language, and had been an outlet for Suga as long as they could remember.

“I guess you’re right.” Daichi held Suga just a little tighter. Suga definitely took note of how close they were now, Daichi’s right hand around his waist, his left hand holding Suga’s forearm as they draped it over broad shoulders, and they way his hip pressed against theirs. Suga’s face flushed once again as they slowed to find Suga’s apartment. Their steps were steady, almost in sync, so Suga didn’t notice how close they were to the apartment they shared with Oikawa. 

“Its apartment 103.” Suga sighed as they fished their keys from the pocket of their sweats. They silently cursed at themself for deciding to wear sweats tonight of all nights when they could meet such a handsome stranger. Daichi didn’t notice or mind, really, since he was dressed very similarly. 

“Do you need help up the stairs, Suga?” Daichi asked and the sound of their name on his lips made Suga’s mind go fuzzy. (Aside from the residual alcohol). 

“I think I can take it from here.” Suga laughed. “Thanks again, Daichi. This poor damsel could’ve never found their castle if it weren’t for you.” They playfully punched his arm as they started their trek up the stairs to the apartment. 

“I hope our paths cross again, Suga.” Daichi’s warm brown eyes sparkled under the streetlamp, and Suga melted yet again. He gave a small wave as he turned and jogged back in the direction they came. 

Suga stood at the door fumbling with the key for quite some time. _Fate has weird ways of fucking with me._ They thought as they unlocked the door and stepped inside. They kicked their shoes off and placed their keys in the dish on the kitchen counter. They padded down the hall to their room, lingering in the doorway still thinking about the beautiful stranger with broad shoulders and a bright smile. 

They collected their thoughts, climbed into bed, and attempted to sleep it off, but their mind was wandering. They kept going back to Daichi’s final words. _“I hope our paths cross again.”_

_Yes._ Suga thought. _I hope they do too._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Suga wakes up the next morning, they realize how bad the situation really is. They attempt to distract themself, they hang out with their friends, and the mysterious stranger pops up again. This time with even stranger circumstances.
> 
> How will Suga deal with these feelings, and what leads the two to meet yet again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The piece mentioned in this chapter is "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius. Check it out! Its a very nice piece!

The morning after was a painful experience for Suga, who awoke with a pounding headache and a grumbling deep in their stomach. They regretted going to the get-together last night and silently cursed at themself for letting Kuroo and Bokuto convince them to drink that much. 

The musician slowly sat up in bed, placing a palm to their forehead to stop the throbbing in their head.  _ I’m never drinking again  _ Suga thought, though it was a fleeting one. 

As they attempted to recount the events from the previous night, they let their mind wander back to the stranger, who wasn’t really a stranger anymore. Suga realized that Daichi was a friend-of-a-friend in their group, and made a mental note to ask Kuroo about him later. Suga could still picture him and all his defined features. The way his mouth turned up slightly in the corners right before he would let out a hearty laugh, or the way his brown eyes glowed a deep amber in the light of the streetlamp, or especially how he held Suga tightly to make sure they didn’t stumble and felt completely safe. 

In a feeble attempt to purge their thoughts of the man they just met, Suga shook their head. Feelings weren’t a thing that Suga was ever great at managing. They always felt things strongly and unapologetically, which explains the borderline fear and anxiety they experienced at the thought of actual intimacy and stable relationships. They somehow either projected it onto or absorbed this mentality from Oikawa, who was equally a wreck in this department. 

Suga’s phone buzzed loudly on the small nightstand to their left. They eyed it for a moment, deciding if it was worth it to check. They quickly remembered that it was a Saturday, so it was likely the group chat asking some absurdly random question or attempting to decipher the events from the previous night. They quickly glanced at it and realized it was Oikawa asking them to brunch with the crew. 

Suga sighed deeply, debating if they actually wanted to go out again today.  _ If Bokuto is there, so is Akaashi, and he can wrangle him better than anyone.  _ Suga chuckled a bit at the thought, though it was almost at Akaashi’s expense. Suga, at most times, was the emotional support friend in the group. Him and Akaashi played therapist for the bunch, often forgetting their own problems. 

Their phone buzzed again and they audibly groaned. They picked it up, clearing the notification quickly and putting it in their pocket as they slowly stood from the comfortable bed. 

As they stretched, they were startled by an obnoxiously loud knock at the bedroom door. “Kou-chaaaaaan!” Oikawa sang. “Are you up? I texted you a bunch.”

“I just woke up and saw your texts.” Suga called, a slight venom in their voice. “My head is about to explode, so keep the unnecessary noise to a minimum, please.” They sighed and rubbed their temples to alleviate the pressure in their head. 

Their door flew open as Oikawa let himself in. His hair was already done, which meant he had been up for a while already. He looked ready to go out, which is presumably why he was so adamant about making sure Suga was up and around. 

“You’re coming to brunch, right?” He asked, a hand on his hip. 

Oikawa was  _ not  _ taking no for an answer. 

“Get me some aspirin, then we’ll talk.” 

——————

Before they knew it, Suga was crammed into a booth, sandwiched between Kuroo and Oikawa. They, thankfully, had a warm coffee mug in their hands and was content being in the moment with their friends, regardless of how much they had originally protested the event earlier in the morning. 

“Damn, Suga.” Kuroo laughed as he threw an arm around their shoulders. “You missed quite the night last night.” 

The whole table could see Oikawa’s face turn a bright shade of red as he buried his head in his hands. 

Suga placed a comforting hand on Oikawa’s back. “Come on, Tooru. It can’t possibly be that bad.” 

The conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the bell at the entrance, signaling that new customers had walked in. Those customers were none other than Bokuto Koutaro and Akaashi Keiji. 

“Bo!” Kuroo cheered. “Glad you guys finally made it. I thought you guys weren’t gonna show.” 

Bokuto threw a strong arm around Akaashi’s shoulders pulling him into the booth directly across from the trio. 

“Where’s Kenma?” Suga turned to Kuroo, elbow on the table and chin in hand, slyly seeking an answer they didn’t even know if they wanted. 

“Kenma’s not exactly a morning person, so he opted out.” Kuroo sighed. “It’s called picking your battles, my dear Sugawara.”

Suga snickered at the use of their name, which would be strange coming from anyone but Kuroo. Their group was an odd bunch, but they all got along well and were in the same department. If they hated each other, their lives would be so much harder since they are in such close proximity every day. 

“So what happened with Oikawa?” Suga whipped their head around to Oikawa, who looked pale, like he was ready to pass into the afterlife. 

“Oh! He drunk called Iwaizumi a bunch and interrupted his study date.” Bokuto stated very matter-of-factly. “Iwaizumi ended up showing up at the apartment really early this morning to get the full story on what happened and make sure no one died and to tell Oikawa to leave him alone.” Bokuto shrugged. 

“Essentially,” Akaashi chimed in. “Oikawa narrowly avoided death by Iwaizumi-san. I wouldn’t be surprised if he snaps all of his violin bows in half before the next rehearsal.” 

Suga patted the brunette’s back. “It honestly could’ve been worse.” 

“How??” Oikawa cried, putting his head on the table. “I just ruined all my chances of dating Iwa-chan. My life is ruined.” 

“Maybe the fact that he had a study date was a clear indication that it probably won’t happen soon.” Suga joked. The rest of the table joined in, still deciding on whether they should actually feel bad for the violinist, or if this is even more ammunition. 

The rest of brunch went on this way. Oikawa being tormented, Kuroo and Bokuto being a bit too loud, and Suga and Akaashi attempting to wrangle the group while apologizing profusely to the waitress and other patrons of the diner.

They parted ways when they finished. They all gathered around the small stand where the cash register was and all paid for their meals. They made their way outside, a little too loudly. Sugawara and Akaashi gave a small bow as an apology, halfheartedly waved to the waitress behind the register and made their way out to corral their obnoxious group. When they made it outside Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo piled into one car, and Oikawa and Suga occupied the other. 

Suga unlocked the door to their two-door silver sedan. It was nothing fancy, but it ran, got from point A to point B, and had an aux cord. The aux cord was a privilege amongst the musicians, though Oikawa was almost never allowed said privilege. 

The pair climbed in, buckled, and Suga started the engine. There was a dull roar from outside as they got settled. These moments of silence were not uncomfortable for the musicians, in fact, they’ve learned to appreciate them more over the years. When the world slows down and they just sit in that moment, together. Suga reaches over and takes Oikawa’s hand in theirs, another common occurrence. Suga was an affectionate friend, and this wasn’t lost on Oikawa, who also thrived from human touch. 

They plugged their phone into the aux cord, and started up some of their orchestral music for the upcoming concert. 

“Finlandia again?” Oikawa whined, clearly annoyed with having to listen to the pieces outside of rehearsal. He was a very talented player, and it showed in the ensembles he performed in. He was the concertmaster and was  _ constantly  _ practicing and pushing himself to be the best. It rarely went unnoticed, especially from those in the friend group. They always pushed each other to be their best and sent passive aggressive text reminders to  _ actually _ practice. 

The somber notes sounded slightly distorted through the dull speakers. Suga sighed as the piece began, visualizing the music in their head. They tapped the conducting pattern on their thigh as they pulled out of the parking lot and back to the university a few blocks away. “Yes, again. I want to make sure I know this music inside and out.” The low notes in the brass continued and were joined by the low ringing of the timpani, of which Suga was an expert. They knew exactly where to place the notes on the head of the drum to make it have the perfect tone. 

“Did you talk to Takeda about your recital pieces yet?” Oikawa asked. “You have to get them approved before Wednesday.”

As seniors, it was a university requirement to perform a full length recital before the end of the year. The nice part was that they all got the opportunity to choose their own pieces to perform, as long as they are approved by Professor Takeda. They were able to choose if they wanted to do the whole thing solo, or add others in for a joint-recital or chamber ensemble. 

“I’m still deciding on one of my pieces. I have a lot of instruments to choose from, but I’m still not sure if I want to perform an original yet.” Suga shrugged and turned into the entrance of the university. 

  
  


Oikawa sat in the passenger seat, mindlessly scrolling through his phone when he paused. Suga could tell something was strange, because he looked annoyed. “Takeda just sent me an email saying he wants to have a meeting with me about my recital.” 

“Is this a good or bad meeting?”

“Not sure yet. I submitted my pieces a few days ago so it may just be reviewing those. I’ve been trying to get them to let me perform the Four Seasons suite FOREVER.” Oikawa shrugged. “Maybe they’re finally letting me and they need me to find an accompaniment or something.”

They pulled into the parking lot of the complex just as an email notification popped up on Suga’s phone as well. They pulled the small car into their usual spot and put it in park, grabbing their phone from its place on their lap and quickly scanning the notification. They saw the address it came from and decided it was probably pretty important.

  
  
  


**From : Ittetsu Takeda**

**To : Koushi Sugawara**

**Subject : Scholarship Requirements and Recital Prep**

_ Hello, Sugawara. I hope you are well on this Saturday morning.  _

_ I am emailing you to remind you that I haven’t received your recital pieces to review. You still have a few days to do this, but a small nudge is always good!  _

_ I also have some bad news for you. There is a requirement for your Music Scholarship as well as your degree plan to provide a semester of private lessons to a student, and it seems you have not yet completed this requirement. There is still some time, however, to fulfill this requirement before your final semester and student teaching begin.  _

_ I will be in my office for a couple more hours if you are available to stop by. I know Saturdays are tricky, but it’ll be easier to discuss in person.  _

_ Best Wishes,  _

_ Dr. Ittetsu Takeda _

_Director of Music Education_

Suga threw their phone to the side and threw their head in their hands. “There’s a problem with my scholarship. I guess I never did a semester of private lessons and I have to complete it this semester or I can’t graduate.” The end of their sentence trailed off, as if they were about to cry. “I have to graduate. I have to be able to do student teaching next semester. I can’t afford to mess this up.” 

Oikawa wrapped a loving arm around the percussionist and hugged them as tightly as he could in the small car. “Everything’s gonna be okay, Kou.” He ran his thin fingers through the short silver locks on Suga’s head. They always secretly enjoyed this, though they would never admit it, but Oikawa always knew just what to do to calm Suga down. 

Suga sighed and lifted their head. “I’m gonna go meet with Takeda for a bit and try to work this out.” They slowly got out of the car, made sure it was locked, and started the short trek to the music building. 

“Good luck, Kou-chan!” Oikawa called sweetly. He turned and walked into the apartment, briefly pausing in the doorway to send some good energy to Suga. They had never been well off and relied on their scholarship in order to pay for everything university related. Suga was very academically strong, always made good grades, and was also an incredible percussionist, their talent landing them the scholarship in the first place. 

“I hope this goes well.” Oikawa sighed. “They really need this.” 

——————

They walked through the glass doors to the vast lobby of the music building. The floors were a tan marble tile, the wall was made up of large windows looking onto a small patch of grass and well-kept shrubbery, with long benches lining the walls, and posters plastered everywhere with reminders for rehearsals and upcoming performances. There was a staircase on either side of the lobby, one leading to classrooms, the other leading to faculty offices. 

As they walked through the door on one side of the large lobby, another door opened on the opposite side. Heavy footsteps echoed from the tile, and Suga’s bright hazel eyes locked with deep brown ones that belonged to the “not-so stranger stranger” from the previous night. 

“Daichi?” Suga called, slightly confused and absolutely mortified. “What are you doing here?” They hoped that he wouldn’t bring up the events of the night before. 

“Oh! Suga!” The man jogged across the lobby to stand face-to-face with the silver haired musician. “I actually need your help. You’re a music major, right?” 

“Yeah. What’s up?” Suga was genuinely surprised that he remembered this fact. They silently wondered if he had been thinking about them too. 

“Well, I got an email from a music professor to have a meeting about a degree requirement and I’ve never been in this building. Can you help me find the office?” Daichi pulled out his phone from his black pants and held it up to Suga. “Takeda?” 

“Oh!” Suga’s eyes widened in surprise and immediately softened. “I’m actually headed that way myself. So you can just follow me.” 

“Thanks, man. I owe you one.” Daichi smiled. 

Suga stopped dead in their tracks, they were never really great at having this talk, and didn’t know how to break the news to Daichi. They didn’t know how much to unload on this near stranger. “My preferred pronouns are actually they and them.” 

Daichi’s face turned bright red. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry. I should’ve asked and not assumed.” 

Suga placed a soft and reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Honestly, it’s okay. It’s an easy mistake to make. You didn’t offend me.” 

Daichi exhaled with a sigh of relief. “Oh thank god. I won’t mess that up again. Promise.” He smiled and Suga’s heart felt like it skipped a beat. They loved and hated how Daichi made them feel, especially because he had been walking their drunk ass home just twelve hours ago. 

Suga started up the stairs with Daichi not far behind. They quickly reached Takeda’s office at the top of the stairs. Suga knocked twice and entered. They received a smile and small wave from the professor. 

“Sugawara-kun!” He clapped his hands together as they slowly entered the office. “I’m so glad you were able to stop by and chat with me!” 

Daichi poked his head into the office as well, drawing the attention of the professor. “You must be Sawamura-kun!” Takeda held out his hand for Daichi to shake. “I’m Ittetsu Takeda. I’m the head of the Music Ed department and I conduct the orchestra.”

“I’m Daichi Sawamura! It’s nice to meet you.” Daichi smiled and firmly shook the man’s hand. 

“It’s actually perfect that you two came together. Are you friends?”

“We actually just met pretty recently.” Suga nervously scratched the back of their head. “I ran into him in the lobby and he said he was looking for your office.” 

“Well, while I have you both here.” Takeda stood and closed the door, motioning for the pair to sit in front of the desk. “The two of you are in a similar predicament. Daichi is missing a music credit, and Sugawara has to teach a semester of private lessons in order to fulfill their own degree requirements. Would you be interested in taking private lessons from Suga, Sawamura-kun?” 

“I mean,” Daichi looked over at Suga, an indistinguishable look in his eyes. “What are the requirements of these lessons? I’ve never played an instrument in my life and I can’t read music.” 

“Not to worry, Sawamura-kun!” Takeda assured him. “Sugawara will work with you one on one about once or twice a week. They will teach you the very basics of music and you will perform a “recital” for the music staff at the end of the semester to evaluate both you and Sugawara. It’s not a very big time commitment, but it will be a bit of work.” 

Suga silently sat as Takeda spoke for them. They had already decided that this was what they had to do, so they were pretty content with just listening and agreeing. If their scholarship was on the line, they’d do pretty much anything to keep it. 

“That sounds fine to me.” Daichi shrugged. 

“The reason I’m pushing this so hard is the final deadline is in a couple days, and I don’t want either of you to miss it and not be able to graduate.” 

“I understand.” Suga nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get this sorted out.” 

“Me too.” Daichi nodded and smiled at Suga. 

“Wonderful!” Takeda clapped. “That settles that then! I will let you guys go and exchange emails for meeting times and such. Sugawara, I will need copies of your lesson plans for all this.”

Suga nodded and stood to their feet. “I will be sure to get my recital plans to you by Monday.” 

“Wonderful. Thank you two for meeting with me on such short notice and being flexible with all this.” Takeda stood and bowed to the students. They both stood and made their way out. 

When they were back in the lobby, Suga held their phone awkwardly to Daichi. “If you want to put in your phone number and email, I can get in touch with you and work out a scheduled time.” Daichi put in his information and handed the phone back to Suga. 

They exchanged some parting words and went their separate ways. Suga’s face was flushed and they knew they were in pretty deep already.

In their panic, they realized something. Suga‘a silent wish had come true in the most chaotic way possible. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our beloved Daichi has his first lesson with his new teacher, and it is not at ALL what he expects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm back! 
> 
> Sorry I went MIA for a bit there. School and work were getting very busy, and this chapter is three times longer than the other two so far! 
> 
> Thanks for your support and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Songs mentioned: Four Seasons - Vivaldi, Sway - Michael Buble, Nocturne No. 20 - Chopin

——————

Oikawa strutted into the music building like he owned the place, violin case in hand. He was arguably one of the best players at the university and was first chair violin for the orchestra, as well as the concertmaster. He got every solo and he loved every second of it. 

That day, he was scheduled for a meeting with Professor Takeda to go over his repertoire for his upcoming recital, and to discuss “possible alternatives”, according to Takeda. He had no idea what Takeda meant by that, but he wasn’t nervous. Oikawa rarely got actually nervous. He had convinced himself over the years that if he faked the confidence, it would eventually stick. Somehow, his disastrous plan had worked and he was always so sure of himself. When it came to music, that is. When it came to relationships, it was quite the opposite. The only relationship he had ever been sure of was his one with Sugawara. 

Suga and Oikawa had always been inseparable. They became friends in high school, and decided to attend the same college. Suga’s parents were never really there for them, so that meant that Suga essentially was adopted by the Oikawa clan. They always stayed the summers at his family’s house and lived with Tooru during the school year in the university owned apartment. They had become Oikawa’s rock over their years of friendship. Suga was always the levelheaded one that was able to talk Oikawa down and get him out of his own head. He made sure to return the favor and help Suga when they needed it. Thats the way it had always been. Even though Oikawa came across as an obnoxious violinist, he always had the desire to help people who needed it. 

When he reached the top of the stairs, he nearly ran into another student. He couldn’t quite tell who it was, since they had a large case on their back, but the short spiky black hair and denim jacket ended up giving it away. 

Fuck. He cursed silently under his breath, absolutely mortified. It’s Iwaizumi. 

“Watch where you’re going, Loserkawa.” Iwaizumi spat, eyes narrowing at the brunette. 

“S-sorry.” Oikawa stuttered, clearly nervous for this interaction. “Do you have a meeting with Takeda too?”

“Yeah. He said he wanted to talk to me about my recital.” Iwaizumi shrugged. 

“By the way,” Iwaizumi turned to face Oikawa, his green eyes full of something Oikawa couldn’t quite place, but it was not pleasant. “I’m still pissed at you for crashing my study session last night.” 

Oikawa gulped and took a step backward, anticipating a swing from Iwaizumi. 

“I’m sorry, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa stammered. “It won’t happen again! Promise!” He held his hands up in surrender. 

“Good.” Iwaizumi crossed his arms. “I wouldn’t want to have to kick your ass. Or snap all your bows.”

Just as Iwaizumi finished his thought, the door flew open. 

“Oh great! You’re both here!” Takeda clapped his hands together. “Come in and have a seat, boys.”

“Both of us?” Oikawa tilted his head slightly. 

“Yes. This actually concerns both of you.” He motioned for the pair to come inside as he took a few steps and sunk into the chair behind the large desk. 

Iwaizumi shrugged the viola case off his shoulders and sat in the plush chair to the left. Oikawa set down his violin case by his feet and positioned himself in the seat next to Iwa. 

“So.” Takeda started, a serious look replacing his usual smile. “We’re having some scheduling issues, so would you two consider doing a joint recital? You wouldn’t have to play as much, since your time would be almost cut in half. I would also like for you two to possibly play a duet.” He paused to get a feel for their reactions

Iwa visibly tensed, gripping the arms of the chair. Oikawa was the first to speak up. “How many pieces would we need to do together?”

“I had just planned on having two duet pieces, one quartet piece, and three solo pieces. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”

Iwa sighed. “That’s fine with me. Do we need to choose different pieces than the ones we turned in?”

“Not necessarily.” Takeda assured. “You could still perform the ones you chose, just adding the duet and quartet pieces.”

“That’s fine with me.” Oikawa chimed in. “Would I be able to play the Four Seasons Suite?” This was something that Oikawa had been pushing for since he came to the university, but the professors were always hesitant about allowing him to do so. 

“I don’t think we have the time for you to perform the entire suite, but I would allow you to do the first movements of each.” Takeda smiled. “I know you’ve had your eye on this for a while, and you have been very diligent in your preparations.”

“Would I still be able to play in Suga’s recital as well?” Iwa asked. “They asked me to play with them for a marimba duet.” 

“Yes, Iwaizumi. That would be fine.” Takeda jotted some notes down in the small notebook on his desk. “I will give you two some time to discuss and decide what duet pieces you would like to do. I will give you until Wednesday to decide and email me for approval, then we’ll set up practice times and locations and such. Thank you both for coming in!”

They both said their thanks, bowed, and quietly exited the small office. There was a strange tension in the air as they both lingered in the hallway. 

“Duets, huh?” Iwa chuckled. “Fate has funny ways of fucking with me, I guess.” 

“What do you mean?” Oikawa crossed his arms over his chest.

“You know exactly what I mean, Shittykawa. First, you crash my study date, drunk, now we’re forced to practice a whole recital together.” 

Oikawa gulped and took a small step back. “You could’ve told Takeda no, ya know.” Oikawa teased, slowly regaining his confidence around the violist. “But you said yes. You want to spend more time with me.”

Iwa rolled his eyes. “In your dreams, Loserkawa. It would’ve made it harder on Takeda for me to say no, and we all know what happens when he gets stressed.”

“You’re right.” Oikawa sighed. “Just text me if you think of any pieces, and I’ll do the same.”

Iwa nodded and turned the other direction. “Try not to drunk call me between now and then.” He laughed. “Later, Lazykawa.”

In an almost shocked silence, Oikawa walked back to the apartment. His brain was moving 100 miles an hour, trying to process everything that had just happened. He ran through everything in his mind over and over again. 

So I have to do an entire recital with Iwa. He thought to himself. This is a great thing for me, but he didn’t seem too thrilled about it. 

He sighed as he stuck his key into the lock and threw the door open. The apartment was eerily silent as he walked in, kicked off his shoes, and threw his keys on the counter. The violinist did a quick sweep of the apartment to look for any signs of his roommate, to no avail. Defeated, he retreated into his room, violin case in hand. 

The door flung open, a little too violently, and Oikawa threw his case onto the bed. He clicked open the latches and pulled the dark wooden instrument out. He wiped the strings down quickly then set the instrument to the side. He grabbed his bow and small block of rosin out of the top of the case, slowly and methodically applied the block to the hairs of the bow. These steps had become second nature for Oikawa, who had been playing violin since he was a very young child. 

When the instrument was prepped and ready to play, the musician took a slow and deep breath as he raised the instrument to rest in the crook of his neck. He brought the bow to the strings and sounded a tuning note, trying to match it to the sound in his head. These notes he had played thousands, if not millions, of times were always comforting. These notes were the foundation of everything Oikawa played, and everything he was. At the core of his being, there was a musician. A musician with an undying desire for perfection. 

When Oikawa was satisfied with his tuning, he began to run through the music he selected for his, now altered, recital plan. The first piece he decided to do was Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”, a collection of pieces he had been begging Takeda to let him perform for at least two years. Although it was a compromise to let him do the first movement of each piece, Oikawa was still thrilled to get to perform them at all. 

Oikawa pulled up the accompaniment track on his phone and took advantage of the empty apartment. He ran through the piece as best as he could, fumbling slightly in the fast solo section. He huffed in frustration and dug through his case to find his pencil. Pencil in hand, he circled his trouble spot, and threw the pencil back into his case. 

After about an hour of practicing and preparing for the recital, he thought of a few pieces to send to Iwaizumi. He grabbed his phone from the bed and texted Iwa to give him the song suggestions. 

Just as Oikawa was beginning to finally pack up his violin, he heard the front door open and close. He spent the next several minutes packing up and making sure everything was in its place. Music filled the small apartment and he recognized the song immediately. He set his case on the floor next to his bed and scurried out of the room to investigate. 

—————————————

  
  


Suga stood in the doorway of the small apartment, a sense of dread and excitement forming in the pit of their stomach. They couldn’t stop thinking of Daichi, and that was a big problem. They were going to have to tell Oikawa at some point, but they were saving that for a time when they had a bit more clarity on the situation. Their mid was foggy, and they needed a distraction. 

They finally made their way into the apartment, kicking off their shoes and setting their keys in the dish on the counter. Suga ran a hand through their silver locks and sighed. They really needed a distraction. 

Swiftly moving through the kitchen, they gathered the ingredients necessary for brownies, and began to work. Suga always baked when they had something on their mind, and it did not go unnoticed by their friends. The thought of creating something, whether it was sweet treats or music, always made Suga feel better. These were their coping mechanisms, and they decided to stay away from music today. That’s sort of what they needed the distraction from.

They rolled up their sleeves, powered up their bluetooth speaker, and went through the checklist in their mind. They had made these brownies any time they needed a distraction, so they were quite familiar with the recipe, so it never required much thought. As the music flowed through the speaker, Suga danced around the kitchen to the beat.

_ When marimba rhythms start to play. Dance with me. Make me sway.  _

This was always Suga’s go-to dance song. Oikawa would always join, and it would turn into a full-out samba in their cramped kitchen, but it was always one of Suga’s favorite things. Dancing with Oikawa or even being near him would make them feel safe. They’d known Oikawa since high school, and they had always had an interesting relationship.

It seemed their roommate also had a lot on their mind, but they secretly hoped that he heard the music and would come dance around with them. They could tell something was a bit off after their meeting with Takeda, but they tried not to pry. They had at least that much mutual understanding that the other would come talk when it was time, so they both decided not to push. 

_ When you dance you have a way with me, stay with me, sway with me. _

Suga began to measure out the flour and cocoa, sifting them both into a large metal bowl. Swaying with the beat of the music, they added the remaining ingredients and shuffled over to preheat the oven. Suga did everything with intent, hardly anything they did was an accident. The relationships they had, the people they were around, the way they carried themself was always intentional. With Daichi, though, they felt like they had no control over their actions. Under normal circumstances, Suga would’ve never let a stranger walk them home, but Daichi was uncharted territory. His warm smile and deep brown eyes did something to Suga that they never expected. 

As they were wrapped in their thoughts, they realized too late that they just cracked two eggs directly onto the counter, missing the bowl completely. 

“Shit.” They muttered under their breath as they reached around for a towel to clean up the mess. They slowly wiped up the egg remnants and sighed. 

Suga quickly got the mess contained and jumped out of their skin when Tooru appeared in the kitchen next to them. 

“Announce yourself, Tooru. Jesus.” Suga laughed as they caught their breath. 

The brunette laughed and put a soft hand on Suga’s shoulder. “Sorry. I heard our song and had to come in.” 

Oikawa lifted his hand from Suga’s shoulder and laced their fingers with his own. Their eyes met, and for a moment, nothing else in the world mattered. There was only this moment, in their tiny kitchen, a mess of eggs and flour on the counter, and music playing loudly behind them. They were together. They always had been. They both had a deep-rooted understanding of the other, what made them tick, what made them smile, what made them upset. An understanding that no matter what, they would always have each other’s back. 

He loosened his grip and spun Suga around, like they had practiced a million times before. Suga giggled as they shifted to the balls of their feet to get a better spin. They fell out of their turn, right into Oikawa’s chest. They wrapped their arms around his thin frame and tightly held on. Oikawa returned the favor by wrapping his arms around Suga’s neck, pulling them closer. He held the back of Suga’s head, lightly scratching with his nails because, though they would never admit, they actually loved it. 

As Suga’s eyes met Oikawa’s golden gaze, they allowed their lips to slowly meet. It was almost like it was routine at this point. They were always so close, so it was second nature for them to find this affection in each other. Suga pulled him tighter against their own chest as they fell into a slow and steady rhythm. 

The brunette was the first to pull back from the kiss and look back down into Suga’s bright hazel eyes. “What has you so stressed that you’re baking again?” 

The percussionist winced a bit at his realization, but at the same time, wasn’t surprised. They always turned to either baking or locking themself in a practice room when they were really stressed. 

“I met a guy. And I really really like him, but we also just met.” Oikawa’s eyes went wide, then immediately softened. 

“Kou-chan.” Oikawa smiled. “You need to let yourself feel these emotions. It’s okay to have a crush.”

Suga sighed. “I know. I’m just bad at this whole thing.” 

“I know. It all takes time, Kou.” Oikawa wrapped his arms a little tighter around them. 

Suga sighed and took a small step back as the music continued to play loudly behind them. “I need to finish these and clean up.”

Oikawa nodded and sat at the table that was positioned not too far from the kitchen counter. 

“So you’ll never guess what happened at my meeting with Takeda today.” Oikawa laughed. 

“What’s that?” Suga turned the music down so they could hear the brunette. 

“I’m gonna be doing a joint recital.” 

“Really? With who?” They tilted their head to the side a little as they began to whisk all the ingredients together. 

“Iwaizumi.” He deadpanned. 

Suga stopped dead in their tracks, their hazel eyes going very wide in surprise. They then doubled over in laughter, grabbing onto the edge of the counter to stable themself. 

“Wait” They grasped for air between their cackles. “That’s such good timing.” They attempted to compose themself, much to their roommate’s dismay. 

“This isn’t funny, Koushi!” He crossed his arms in protest. “This is serious!”

Suga was clutching their stomach. “I know, I know.” They took a deep breath. “It’s very funny.”

Oikawa laid his head down on the table as Suga finished up the brownies. They placed them in the heated oven and sat down at the table with their roommate, placing a soft hand in their hair. 

“I think you need to just get laid.” Suga said dryly. 

The brunette groaned loudly into the table and banged his head into it firmly. 

“I just need Iwa to like me.” He cried. 

“Have you tried maybe being, I don’t know, likable?” Suga laughed. 

This only made Oikawa whine louder. Suga sighed, grabbed the mop of hair on Oikawa’s head, and pulled until their eyes met. 

“You’re being dramatic again, Tooru.” Suga rolled their eyes. “Just take this as an opportunity to show Iwaizumi how charming and nice you are, and play an amazing recital.”

By the time any kind of sense was talked into Oikawa, the oven beeped, signaling that the brownies were done. Suga sauntered over to the kitchen to pull them out. 

“Should I take these to Kuroo and Bokuto?” Suga asked as they placed the hot pan onto the stove top to cool.

“I think they’d like that.” Oikawa nodded. “Lord knows if you don’t, I will eat the whole pan and ruin my perfect figure.” 

“Oh, calm down, Trya.” Suga chuckled. They waited a few minutes for the brownies to cool and began to cut them into small squares. Suga carefully wrapped the pan in tin foil and shot a text to Kuroo to make sure someone was home to receive the treats. They pressed pause on whatever song was playing and turned the speaker off. After a moment of silence, Kuroo had replied. 

“They’re both home, so I’m gonna run those over. Try not to explode while I’m gone.” They slipped their shoes on and stepped out the door. 

Since it was a Saturday afternoon, the campus was nearly empty. Although it would be a good chance for Suga to clear their head, they decided against walking and hopped into the car. After the short drive, Suga parked the car and walked up to the front door. They knocked three times and was immediately met with a smiling Bokuto. 

“Suga!” He beamed. “What’s up??”

Suga simply offered the pan to Bokuto, whose cheery demeanor immediately fell. 

“Come inside.” He said flatly and ushered Suga into the apartment. They kicked off their shoes and stepped inside. The sudden shift in tone confused Suga, but they also knew Bokuto was no stranger to some major mood swings. They decided that it was just Bokuto being Bokuto and paid it no mind. 

Bokuto took the pan of brownies and set them down as gently as he could on the counter, then proceeded to pull Suga into a bone-crushing hug. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Suga!” Bokuto cried as Suga was unable to move. 

“Uh. Bokuto?” Kuroo turned the corner. “You gotta let them breathe.” 

Bokuto immediately loosened his grip. “Oh. Sorry.” He let go and took a step back. “You were stress baking again and I got worried.” Bokuto admitted nervously. 

“I’m fine. Just a bit stressed about my recital coming up.” They lied. 

Kuroo chimed in, “Aren’t you doing a piece with Iwaizumi? I remember him saying something about it at volleyball practice last week.” 

Suga nodded. “Yeah. We’re doing a marimba duet! Have you guys chosen your pieces for your recitals?” 

They both shrugged. “I have a couple picked, but nothing is set in stone.” Kuroo said, nonchalantly.

“I wanted to play a jazz piece, but I don’t think Takeda is gonna approve it.” Bokuto pouted. “What’s the point of even playing trombone if they won’t let me play any jazz! I wanna be cool like Berry Benson.” 

“Isn’t that the bee from “Bee Movie”?” Suga laughed.

“He said the word “jazz” and followed it with the first thing that popped in his head.” Kuroo explained, holding back his own laugh. 

Bokuto crosses his arms over his chest. “I feel like I’m being made fun of. That’s not what bros do, Tetsu.” He stuck his tongue out at Kuroo. 

“You’re right.” Kuroo sighed. “I’m sorry, bro.” 

They shared a tender fist-bump, and Suga felt like they were interrupting a bromance moment. Suga coughed loudly to clear the air. 

“Anyway,” They laughed. “I hate to break up the bromance, but I have lesson plans to write and a sassy brunette to console, so I’m gonna head home.”

Bokuto waved enthusiastically. “Bye, Suga! Thanks for the brownies! If you need anything, call us!” 

“See ya, Suga.” Kuroo smirked. 

Suga nodded, slipped their shoes back on and headed back home for a long night of lesson plans, feelings chats, and bad alien movies. 

—————————————

  
  
  


Daichi strolled into the music building on that Monday afternoon, admiring the spacious lobby properly for the first time. He still wasn’t  _ exactly  _ sure where to go, but Suga would be there soon to show him to the practice room. 

He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and double checked to make sure he had their meeting time correct. He scrolled through his inbox a bit to find it. 

“We’ll meet at 13:30 in the music building! I’ll be there to help you find the room and get set up. I’ll explain how the semester is gonna go then we’ll hit basics! See you then! 

\- Sugawara” 

Daichi could safely admit that he was nervous, considering he’d never touched an instrument in his life. However, he was fairly certain that percussion couldn’t be that difficult. He had pretty decent rhythm, he thought. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was getting himself into.

Suga came running into the building at approximately 13:30, hair disheveled from the wind and a bag hanging loosely from one shoulder. They stopped for a moment and rested their hands on their knees as they hunched over and caught their breath. 

“So sorry I was running late. My education class ran long and it’s all the way across campus.” They stood straight, took a final deep breath, and ran a hand through their messy hair. 

“Oh it’s no problem.” Daichi shrugged. “I just got here, so I wasn’t waiting long.” 

“Were you able to get all the stuff I sent to you?” Suga asked. “Music stores can be pretty intimidating for non-musicians, so I want to make sure you found it all.”

Daichi scratched the back of his head anxiously. “I wasn’t able to make a trip over there yet.” 

“We can go now and get everything if you want.” Suga suggested, nonchalantly. “I have a free hour, and we can discuss everything on the way.” 

“That sounds good.” Daichi decided. It would be nice to get to know Suga a bit more outside of a professional setting. 

“Do you mind if I drive?” Suga asked. “My car isn’t too far away.”

“That’s fine. You’re not gonna kidnap me, are you?” Daichi chuckled. 

“I don’t think it’s considered kidnapping if you’re an adult. Plus, you’re probably a lot stronger than me. So I don’t think it’ll be an issue.” Suga started to make their way outside to the small parking lot outside of the building. 

As they approached the vehicle, Daichi had a look of concern on his face. “Not to be rude, but does this thing even run?”

They gasped a bit too dramatically and threw a hand to their chest. “How dare you ask such a thing. Of course she runs.” They laughed together for a moment and climbed into the car when Suga immediately reached for the aux cord that Daichi was half sitting on. 

“Sorry. Force of habit.” They choked out. “Tooru is never allowed to have the aux cord in here.”

“Tooru? Like, Tooru Oikawa?” Daichi asked.

“Yeah. He’s my roommate and ‘self appointed emotional guardian’. Do you know him?” 

“Yeah! He played rev volleyball for a few games my first year here.”

“Oh, yeah!” Suga remembered that conversation from a couple years ago. Oikawa had asked them if they wanted to play as well, but Suga had politely declined. “So you know Kuroo and Bokuto as well?” 

“Oh yeah! Kuroo and I go way back!” Daichi beamed. “Our highschool teams were rivals.” 

“Do you still play?” Suga asked, choosing to listen to “Nocturne No. 20” by Chopin as they started up the car. 

“Yeah. I only play rec and not competitive. Practices and stuff got to be too much and it took away from my study time, so I made the switch.” Daichi explained. “I’m a lot happier and less stressed. I always told myself that school would always come first.” 

Suga nodded along with his story as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the busy road. “I played volleyball a bit in highschool. I quit once I came to college so that I could pursue music full time. I still play with my friends sometimes, but music took over.”

“Do you still like to play? Maybe we could set up a game with some of the guys in the courts behind the apartments! It could be a lot of fun!”

He looked over at the percussionist with excitement in his eyes as they pondered the idea for a moment. Daichi was honestly just curious about the person he sat next to, so finding something like this that they had in common could be the key to getting to know them better. 

“Yeah.” Suga finally said. “That sounds like fun! I’ll talk to the crew about it!” 

Daichi tried to hide his excitement, even if just a little. He was looking forward to knowing Suga better and seeing how they played. 

“I’m looking forward to it.” Daichi beamed. 

Suga smiled back at Daichi. “So what position do you usually play?” They asked.

“Oh! I’m a wing spiker! Though I’ve recently been playing more of the libero for the rec team. They didn’t have one and I’m a pretty good receiver. What about you?”

“Setter. But I’m not all that great. Nothing like Tooru or Akaashi.” 

“I bet you’re a top notch setter.” Daichi patted their shoulder. 

Suga shrugged as the small car pulled into the parking lot of a large brick building. It looked almost like someone’s home, and Daichi was intrigued. He’d never been to a music store and wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from it. 

He glanced over to Suga, who turned off the car and began to climb out. They walked around to Daichi’s side and pulled their bag out from the back seat. Daichi climbed out and stood next to them to see what they were doing. They were scribbling words into a small notebook. 

“What’s all that?” Daichi asked as he looked over their shoulder. 

“Oh.” Suga jumped a bit. “Just trying to make a list of the things we’ll need. It’ll be easier to keep track, and I don’t think it will help much if I just talk at you the whole time.” 

They shut the car door with a loud thud and stuffed the pen and notebook into their pocket. “Ready?” They smiled.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Daichi smiled nervously. 

The pair strolled into the shop, Suga taking the lead. Daichi slowly looked around, taking in all the sights and sounds of the shop. He noticed a few things right off the bat, and those were the plethora of grand pianos and keyboards to his right, and the wall covered in guitars to his left. 

“Woah.” He whispered, causing a chuckle to come from the percussionist. 

“It’s a lot.” Suga reassured. “But I can talk you through everything.” 

Daichi nodded, only half listening as he continued to look around the store. 

“Where’s all the drum stuff?” Daichi asked. 

“There’s a few different sections.” Suga explained. “There’s an accessory percussion section, a world percussion section, marching section, and concert stuff. The concert section is toward the back.”

Daichi nodded, having no clue what any of those words meant. 

They continued to walk and browse when they were stopped by someone at the counter who looked familiar. 

“Hey, Akaashi.” Suga waved at the worker. 

“Oh, Suga. I didn’t see you come in.” He closed the book he was reading and stood to his feet. He stood at about six feet, a lot taller than Daichi was expecting. 

“That’s alright! This is Daichi.” They motioned to him and he gave a small wave. “He is my new student and I’m wanting to get him a few things for his lessons.”

Akaashi nodded. “Are you wanting a kit, or just get everything individually?” 

“Individually. The kits are usually hit or miss, so I don’t really want to risk it being bad.” They explained. Daichi just stood there, hands behind his back, shifting his weight from foot to foot, and listened to the two friends speak a completely unknown language. 

“Everything you need should be back in the drum room.” Akaashi smirked. “I don’t really think you need my help.”

“Thanks, Akaashi.” Suga smiled and waved to their friend, starting toward the back of the shop, motioning Daichi to follow. 

He complied, following Suga like a lost puppy. He was very overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things in the store, but also realized that Suga probably knew about every single one. That thought baffled and intrigued him. There was so much he didn’t know about the musician next to him, but there was a feeling of excitement deep in his gut. He wanted to know absolutely everything about this person, though they only met three days ago. 

The spiker didn’t even realize he had zoned out until he passed through the threshold into the drum room and promptly ran face-first into a display of tambourines. He managed to act quick enough to save the wireframe of the display, but about seven tambourines came crashing to the ground with a very loud metallic sound. Daichi was mortified to say the least. 

Suga whipped their head around fast enough to witness the ordeal and immediately burst out laughing. Both of their faces were bright red, but for very different reasons. 

Akaashi quickly ran into the room to make sure no one had died and none of the equipment was damaged. The worker slapped a hand over his mouth to avoid laughing at the poor soul who just knocked over a half dozen tambourines. 

“Suga.” Akaashi tried not to laugh. “Are you sure he is suited for percussion? You might try a recorder or something.” 

Daichi covered his face with his hands and apologized profusely. 

“It’s alright, Daichi.” Suga clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve done much worse.”

“It happens. These tambourines are hard to break, so you’re fine.” Akaashi said dryly.

The three spent a few minutes trying to set all the tambourines back to the right place and reminiscing on some of their favorite fuck-ups through the years. 

“When I was in high school,” Suga started, “I was moving a marimba across the football field and I ran over some kid’s trumpet and completely flattened it.” 

“What?” Daichi laughed. “That’s insane!”

“Band kids are a different breed.” Akaashi shook his head. “Nothing that interesting ever happened in orchestra. But we did have a bird fly into someone’s tuba during a performance in the school gym.” 

They shared a few more laughs and got everything in order. Daichi breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t absolutely humiliate himself and break the equipment, and Akaashi was sure to remind him it wasn’t a big deal. He went back to his spot behind the counter and picked his book right back up. 

“Anyway,” Suga laughed. “I can talk you through all the stuff you’ll need for lessons and what they’ll look like for the semester.”

Daichi nodded and listed intently as the percussionist explained the plan. 

“So we’ll get you a few basic things first. A drum pad, drum sticks, a beginner book, and a couple pairs of marimba mallets.” The setter explained. 

“What mallets?” Daichi’s head tilted in confusion. 

“Marimba.” Suga laughed. “It’s like a big xylophone with a deeper tone. You play it with yarn mallets.” 

The pair made their way toward the back wall, which was filled with small cubbies and a large assortment of sticks and mallets in each one. Daichi felt himself become overwhelmed with all the options. 

“Do I need specific ones? Are they all different?” Daichi asked, examining a few pairs of sticks, attempting to read and understand the numbers on the sides. 

“Every stick is different. Different lengths, different weights, and different diameters.” Suga explained as they scanned the cubbies. “We will get a couple different pairs and let you try.” 

Suga quickly grabbed Daichi’s hand to examine the size. This unexpected action made Daichi cheeks flush, and he didn’t know why. 

“You have big hands, so I think a heavier stick would be good to start with.” They released his hand and grabbed two different pairs of sticks and handed them to Daichi. 

“That first pair are called the “SD1 Generals”.” They explained. “They’re the standard stick that most concert players start with. They’re not too heavy, but they’re also not super light.” 

Daichi nodded and held them tightly in his hand. 

“Next we need a drum pad. This will allow you to get the feeling of playing a real drum without the noise of a real drum. They come in handy a lot for practice.” 

“How does it feel like a drum but not sound the same?” He asked as they took a few steps over to where they were displayed. 

Suga picked up a round object, about the size of a plate, that looked like a drum. Daichi stepped a bit closer to examine it as well. The top of the drum pad looked like it was made of a rubber-like substance and the bottom was made of a dark colored wood. It had the word “Vater” printed on the top inside a large letter “V” in bright white. 

The pad was passed to him, and he took it into his hands very carefully. It looked to be very sturdy and solid, so he didn’t feel like he was going to break it. He carefully examined the entire pad, not quite sure what he was looking for. 

“Set it on the counter, and use this to hit it.” Suga handed him a spare stick that was sitting atop a snare drum. They moved to the counter where Daichi set the pad down and tapped it lightly with the stick. 

“You’re not gonna break it.” Suga chuckled. “Here, let me show you.” They put their hand over Daichi’s, adjusting his grip on the stick. As his fingers moved, he noticed how much smaller Suga’s hands were compared to his own. Their pale, thin fingers were a stark contrast to his tan, strong hands. They lifted their hand from Daichi’s and instructed him to turn his wrist up, then bring it back down to get a good sound out of the drum, even though it was an imaginary sound.

Daichi was surprised on how well Suga was able to explain everything to him, they were a natural. He could see the passion in their eyes as they spoke, and it made his heart all warm and fuzzy. For a split second, he let his mind wander to Suga as an actual educator. About how gentle they would be with the little kids, clapping out time as they sang a funny song and danced in a circle. He smiled at the thought and was snapped back into reality by the teacher next to him. 

“Earth to Sawamura.” Suga waved their hands. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Daichi smiled nervously. “Zoned out again.” 

“Should we hide the tambourines?” They laughed. 

Daichi’s face flushed and he felt hot with embarrassment. “I’ll never live that down.”

“Nope. Not allowed.” They chuckled. “We have a couple more things to get. We need to get a pair of marimba mallets and a book.” 

Nodding along with what Suga was saying, Daichi picked up the items from the counter and followed Suga to the other side of the drum room. 

They handed him two very thin sticks with a ball like tip, wrapped in gray yarn, with writing on the side. 

“Those are the standard mallets for marimba. It’s basically a stick with an acrylic ball at the end, wrapped in yarn to give it a more mellow tone.” Suga explained. “There are thousands of mallets you can choose from, and all have different sounds, but these are a good medium.” 

Daichi nodded along, the warm feeling in his chest slightly subsiding as they went on. Though it faded, it was never gone. The spiker tucked that away in the back of his mind to rationalize later. 

“We just need to get a beginning book, then we’ll head back.” 

The pair moved back toward the front of the store where there were very large shelved filled with books, anything from children’s piano books to Beethoven scores. Suga stopped right in the middle and pulled one out. 

“Isn’t this for kids?” Daichi asked. 

“Not necessarily,” they started. “Just for beginners. It’s simple, but effective.”

They handed the book over to Daichi for him to flip through. 

“This looks like hieroglyphics to me.” 

“I know. Don’t stress too much.” Suga explained and they made their way to the front counter. “I’m here to teach you.” 

“You’re definitely gonna have your work cut out for you.” Daichi laughed as they payed and exited the store. 

Bag in hand, Daichi climbed into the passenger seat. He set the bag down at his feet and waited for Suga to get in and start the car. 

“So lessons will be about once a week, unless you feel like you need another one.” Suga said as they put the key in the ignition and started up the car. “We’ll go over all the basics of percussion as well as reading music. I promise I won’t give you anything you can’t handle.” They smiled warmly at Daichi and it made his heart melt just a little. 

“Challenge accepted.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments, or if there is something you'd like to see!~
> 
> My plan is to update weekly/possibly every other week, but I won't post until I have another chapter on deck. 
> 
> Thank you all for bearing with me and I hope you enjoy the antics of these adorable losers!


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